Flashback: All the President’s Men

I’m doing a journalism writing course this semester at University, and on Wednesday our lecturer made us watch Pakula’s 1976 All the President’s Men. It’s a fine example of journalists at work since the adaptation is so devoid of the most obvious Hollywood-ization that most true-stories have today – sometimes, I must admit, to my exasperation.

Hoffman and Redford are two of the most conventionally “seventies” actors and the idea of them working each other is spirited. The thing, the best thing about All the President’s Men is also the worst thing about it. In its staunch upholding of the truth it seems to be devoid of characters, which is – incidentally – what makes me such an admirer of Hoffman and Redford here. They have little to work with, but they make it work excellently. I like Redford, but even at his best I always like him with reservations. And, he’s not at his best here – but he’s good. 

The two manage to make simple interviews come off as well acted arcs; the best of which occurs opposite Jane Alexander in a head-scratcher supporting actress nomination. She’s much better than the role, but it’s still one of the oddest acting nominations I can recall. Oddly, Robards, with a similarly small role manages to carve something much more indelible. No, not worthy of that Oscar, but oftentimes one of the highpoints of the film reminding you that these are real people and not just the means to an end in bringing down a government.

        

Like so many films that retain that quintessential feeling of Americana I often wonder how much more I’d like All the President’s Men if I was an actual American. To its credit, though, what emerges loudest from the narrative is not a pride that is nationalistic but journalistic – garishly, at times. Just like many would say that Saving Private Ryan offers a ferociously authentic look at war All the President’s Men does the same for journalism – although not ferociously. It’s content with showing the unglamorous nature of the job.

This is perhaps what makes the film itself sort of paradoxical for me. It doesn’t maintain the major tenets of the cinema, it’s palpably a non-fiction piece but yet its cinematic aspects are excellently done, its cinematography and score for example – though unobtrusive in both cases – is excellent. But, remember that adage about things not being as good as the sum of their parts? I get that distinctive feeling with All the President’s Men. It’s a fine example of filmmaking that is immediately admirable, both for its cinematic attributes and for the way it pushes boundaries with the form of storytelling – the screenplay is a beauty. But, there’s something distinctly cold about it, soulless even – but I still won’t deny that it’s a fine film.

          

What do you think of Pakula's film?

Flashback: Kramer vs Kramer

Kramer vs Kramer is one of those dozens upon dozens of films I sought out because of the Oscar attached to their name. I’m always looking to get edified on the tenets of good cinema, even though I can now admit that Oscar does not always equal good cinema. Kramer vs Kramer is as simple as family dramas. Joanna Kramer is unhappy in her marriage and rashly leaves her husband and six year old son. Over time Ted forges a strong relationship when Joana returns looking for custody of the child. When I reviewed the small town duo of Rebel Without a Cause and Picnic I noted that both films were deeply rooted in the zeitgeist. I figure that with the changing parental norms of the seventies Kramer vs Kramer was just as zeitgeist in its way, and in theory I suppose Ted's accomplishment is important for the time. The thing is it’s mostly all lost on me, and the rest of the time I don't really care.

I have a minor resentment of the generic family dramas after years of being forced to endure Lifetime with my mother and though Kramer vs Kramer is not overly generic it’s a film whose blandness leaves me slightly bored. The fact that it essentially swept the Oscars always fascinates me because its appeal often eludes me. The first half of the film tries to tread that line of vague poignancy. I know that Dustin Hoffman’s failed attempts at French toast have become an important moment in cinematic history and his bonding with Justin Henry (the youngest competitive Oscar nominee) is sweet in its way. The thing is one hour of mundane existence between a father and son leading into a courtroom battle that seems excessively contrived isn’t particularly riveting. I’ll put forth that Kramer vs Kramer’s principal issue is that in trying to be a film about the mundane it becomes mundane because it approaches its subject not like a Merchant Ivory production on life in the period era or a Woody Allen quasi-comedy, Kramer vs Kramer wants to be methodical and in becoming methodical it loses the spontaneity of real life and becomes bland – including the ending that seems intent on surprising us with its sincerity.It doesn't strike a resonating chord with me.

It’s unfortunate that Dustin Hoffman won two Oscars for less than interesting performances (though this is nowhere as abhorrent as Rain Man). It’s not so much that’s he subpar here, he’s just uninteresting. Streep is hit with a thankless, borderline ridiculous at times, role and she makes the best of it. Truthfully, though, it’s Jane Alexander’s well intended neighbour who comes off the best of the main cast. She’s the only character who seems to exist as a real person and not as pawns in whatever social commentary Benton (and Avery) are trying to make. Am I being unduly harsh on Kramer vs Kramer? Perhaps, it’s easy to forgive it its faults because it’s so unassuming – but that’s a double standard. Sometimes I wonder if an awful film with soul is better than a fair film with no imagination. Kramer vs Kramer falls in the latter grouping, naturally.

             
Was Kramer vs Kramer worthy of giving Meryl and Dustin their first Oscars?

“I'm just drifting...”

It’s so strange how we end up getting our own ideas of what films really mean. Even when it’s not some giant mindf*** like Von Trier or Lynch film there’s still – quite often – no telling who’s “right” and “who’s wrong” in the argument of what X film is about. The Graduate is the kind of film that could imply much. In 500 Days of Summer Tom confessed to a complete misreading of the film – and judging from his character, I suppose we can all assume what that was. Still, I’m never sure if The Graduate is as wholly cynical as it sometimes pretends to be.

Emmy winning sound-designer (I know, right?) Yojimbo of Let’s Not Talk About Movies offers some insight below.

"40 years after the fact, The Graduate is a better film than when first released. Taken apart from the flush of the “Summer of Love” and a naïve association with “revolutionary” “stick-it-to-the-Establishment” behavior, it can now be seen for what it is: two kids in the process of becoming their parents. Elaine Robinson, the object of Ben’s ADD affection, is the product of a marriage of convenience, her Mother abandoning her dreams for domesticity, and now Ben Braddock has whisked her off in a similar moment of heat without thought. Meet the new beau, same as the old beau. Brilliantly, Nichols holds on that last shot of the two rebels as the adrenaline seeps away and the 'Now what’s' sink in. The Graduate is better—and more relevant--than ever."

That’s a reading I wasn’t going to come up with by little own self, though that “now what” look at the end always roused me. Even in the original review for The Graduate I was harping on it. But, it’s the uncertainty – of their looks, and the meanings – that adds to the specialness of the ending. I really am whimsical and I like to think a little more positively than Yojimbo there. All evidence seems to imply that the two are headed down a loveless marriage, and then I think “Who knows?” Maybe they will be the unlikely success, and no better way to try that than away from their toxic parents. It’s weird that I end up starting with the ending, though. It’s not the first thing that’s thought of when persons hear of the The Graduate – is it?

It’s weird how Anne Bancroft has become, in a de facto way, the thing that many persons associate The Graduate with. That leg covered in that stocking (which wasn’t even hers to begin with) is certainly alluring, but as strong a performance as she gives Bancroft is just one of the many supporting characters revolving around Dustin Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock. 

Doesn’t that name read like something we’d get out of a comic book, a la Archie Andrews or Jughead Jones? I’ll always think of Benjamin as Hoffman’s magnum opus (we’ll be discussing the 67 race at the end of the month for The Actor Factor) Still, if I’m to take the words of the fellow cinephiles who’ve admitted to loving the The Graduate into account, it would seem that their thoughts are not far off from mine. The Mad Hatter of the consistently intuitive The Dark of the Matinee weighs in, and his thoughts are not a far cry from Yojimbo.

"What The Graduate does best, is tap into the restlessness that seeps into our conscience when we’re unsure of our next move. From a very young age, we’re taught the road map of life: 'Go to college, get a job, get married, have kids.'

The problem is, if we complete one of those steps and find ourselves unsure of what to do next, we get antsy…and prone to some very bad decision-making. That’s what drives young Benjamin in this movie, and you can tell even he isn’t certain that he’s doing the right this. He drifts from scene-to-scene with a scared expression, and doesn’t live his life so much as he navigates it.

The Graduate wants to teach us that there’s nothing wrong with not knowing the answer. Many of us get to one of these milestones in life – graduation, wedding, kids – and find ourselves thinking “now what?” (For a great example of this, pay attention to the final shot of the film). The trick is to take a moment to ourselves, and think things through. This introspection is what the film wants us to remember, and it’s something young Benjamin never seems to want to do."

I like Hatter’s thoughts on the film’s introspection. I’d still claim it as one of cinema’s brilliant comedies even if it’s more of a “things done funnily” that a “funny things done” situation. In fact, if you get too introspective you might find that The Graduate is too wistful underneath its wan setting and ridiculous characters. Nichols is probably not one we would call an auteur, but consider his film against his one from just a year before – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. It’s another ostensibly ridiculous piece that has some disturbing connotations beneath. Just like Martha and George are keen on attaining diversions in their lives to ignore their obvious aches Benjamin prefers to meander from place to place instead of making a conscious effort to “do” something. After all, you can’t be inadvertently guilty of a crime? When The Graduate takes that turning point (the first of many) that has Benjamin pursuing Elaine I’m reminded of a Stephen Sondheim quote “I chose and my world was shaken, so what? The choice may have been mistaken…the choosing was not.” I think it’s the same with Benjamin. I’m still unsure if Benjamin’s choice was the “right” one, but there’s some credibility to be found in the fact that he does make a decision. Despite my general moroseness I’m not intent on approaching the situation as bleak as Yojimbo. It’s probably because Dustin Hoffman is so affable, but I’m rooting for Ben all the way. Like me, Dan leaves room for either side of the coin:

Part of the appeal of Mike Nichols The Graduate comes from when you first discover it. It has a timeless sensibility - life at a crossroads - and it beautifully encompasses the almost surreal realisation of living outside the comfort zone of childhood, of school institutions, of parents and teachers instructing you what to do. The Graduate is life when the warm, safe environment of childhood has disappeared, and adulthood has suddenly been thrust upon you. I suppose, for me, I felt like Ben Braddock when I first saw The Graduate. There’s a great shot of Dustin Hoffman floating in the pool. His father asks him what he is doing. Ben replies: “Well, I would say that I’m just drifting. Here in the pool.” “Why?” asks his father. “It’s very comfortable just to drift here,” says his son. The brilliance of Mike Nichols’ film is in how he offers that guiding light to this twenty-something conundrum. Enter Mrs Robinson. 

I’ve only recently discovered Dan’s Top10Films.co.uk and it’s a blog that’s becoming a favourite. I love the way that both he and The Mad Hatter notice the drifting that’s going on with Ben. It makes me think that perhaps the jury isn’t really that split on what The Graduate is really about after all. I’m afraid I just can’t do it justice when it comes to a second review, but that doesn’t make it any less laudable. It’s still an excellent satire/comedy/social drama…or whatever the hell you want to call it.

Here it is at #9…coming closer to the top with 8 more to go. What do you remember when you think of the The Graduate?

In the Mood For Love: Three Classics

People are always lamenting the state of romantic films – the romantic comedy in particular. Has it really gotten that bad? I can’t be sure. Perhaps, but isn’t the consensus that film isn’t as provocative. Still, I won’t lament on that situation. Instead I’m looking back to three oldies of sorts – two comedies, and a drama each centring on romance in some strange places. What makes these films important is the success each found with Oscars and other award bodies. Each won an acting Oscar in fact, not too shabby for a romance, eh?

              

My mother was a huge fan of An Officer & A Gentleman and I saw it when I was very young. Who can forget that memorable ending where Richard Gere – in one of his few performances I like – picked Debra Winger up and walked her out of that horrible place? Not me. And speaking of endings, who didn’t feel just a little misty eyed when The Goodbye Girl ended and we saw that Dreyfuss had left his guitar behind? Not me. And say what you want about Jessica Lange in Tootsie but who wasn’t cheering when she and Dustin finally hooked up? Not me. Each takes a different perspective on love, and each succeeds.

I often wonder why Marsha Mason doesn’t get more work, and then I remember than Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange aren’t getting much work either, but I digress. Mason is a talented actress and was on quite a streak back in her day but she really shines in The Goodbye Girl. There’s a moment in the film when she buys her groceries only to have them all fall down on the sidewalk. Marsha’s reaction is always realistic and never forced. The romance between her and the wandering Dreyfuss is excellent. The premise is so simple and it never goes for the loud and obvious, but it’s the little things that make this so special. It’s the same in some ways with An Officer & A Gentleman. I always lament the fact that Debra doesn’t have an Oscar and then I always marvel that she was nominated for this. Not that the nomination wasn’t deserved. It was. But the performance is so atypical of Oscar. Debra has never been a showy actress and An Officer & A Gentleman is a film that focuses on so much more than the romance between her and Gere. The film examines so much and yet it never loses its touch as one of the better romances of the 80s. sometimes I wonder if Top Gun wasn’t trying to take a page out of their book, but let’s not go there….

Let’s go instead to Tootise. Dustin Hoffman in drag doesn’t seem like the ideal premise for a romance and this VERY light comedy doesn’t seem like an ideal Best Picture nominee. But I’d probably have given it the Oscar. Why does Tootsie work so well? I never can underestimate Jessica Lange. Her Oscar win has become hated. But I don’t care. People undervalue the difficulty of playing a romantic lead. It isn’t easier because it’s less baity and it’s more than her beauty. In a film filled with so much of the ridiculous she manages to keep the film from becoming over the top. Even if Tootsie wasn’t winning Picture I wish they’d have given Hoffman the Oscar to prevent Rain Man from getting than honour – but I digress. It’s not as excellent as his performance in The Graduate (few are) but it’s exceptional nonetheless. His comedic timing is impressive – and speaking of impressive, what of Teri Garr? Perfect in everyway in her small role I always smile to remember that she too was Oscar nominated.

 I suppose the consensus is true. Films like these aren’t made any more, but the thing is if they are made they aren’t as esteemed. Why didn’t Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind get more recognition? Why did The Upside of Anger and Bandits get none? But I won’t go there. I’ll revel in the past, each of the three is on my list of favourites.. An Officer & A Gentleman appears at #56, The Goodbye Girl appears at #50 and Tootise appears at #44. But each are extra special in their own way, it’s unfair to pit them against each other. Bu I’ll ask you to, anyway. Pick a favourite? Which do you like the most?

Cinematic Romance: The Sixties